A Broken Church Grows

“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

Psalm 122:1

Three years ago, a church of new believers discovered the cost for following Christ.

They were beaten. Their church damaged. Their adversaries were their neighbors.

“They were trying to stop people from coming to our Savior Lord Jesus Christ,” said Chakma. He is a leader in this small church in an isolated forest.

The good news is that God’s church is growing even in far-flung and hostile places. But when you consider what these Christians are enduring, it is extraordinary that they remain steadfast in their faith. One trait of Christianity is that persecution grows the church in unexpected ways.

Their bruises are a testimony of their faith in God. Their church, rebuilt with support from you and others to Christian Freedom International, is a testimony of God’s church caring for one another.

Their story is below. Briefly, Chakma’s church in Naniar village was attacked by militant Buddhists. The men were threatened with death, the women and children were brutally beaten, and their church was damaged.

The goal of the attackers is to force Christians to deny Christ. The tactics are:

• Beat and humiliate them into submission.
• Steal their goods and deny the ability to work and provide for their families.
• Prevent them from gathering together to worship or be a light in the community.

The Christians fled to Christian Freedom International’s shelter where they found security and restoration. Our director negotiated with village leaders and they were allowed to return to their homes.

But there was one condition: they could not rebuild their church. Then came a second restriction: they could not move about, meaning they could not work.

Since then, Christian Freedom International (CFI) is supplying food and necessities for the families every month. We are also training up a young man to be their pastor.

This year, finally, village leaders allowed the Christians to rebuild their church. God heard our prayers and changed the hearts of the leaders.

With their labor and your gifts to CFI, the church was rebuilt. In May, the Naniar Christians celebrated the opening of their new building.

But in August, Buddhist activists again threatened the Christians. Half of the families fled to CFI’s shelter while others remain to protect their church and homes.

The Christians want to stay in Naniar to be a light of Christ to their village. Their church is a testimony that God heals the broken. Their building is a symbol that they are a part of God’s global church and a reminder that you and other Christians are helping Christians.

Ultimately, we are following the example of the early church when we care for suffering believers. Paul wrote in his epistles about Gentile Christians donating to Jewish Christians. Giving to distant believers is a powerful way to unify and grow the church.

When we help persecuted Christians, the global church grows in unity and faith.

Will you:

* Pray for ‘daily bread’ for Christians and the ability to meet and worship together.

*  Pray for adversaries, like Naniar’s neighbors, to be transformed by God’s grace.

Naniar Christians are resolved to follow Jesus. But Chakma and other Christians are not meant to do this alone. Your monthly gift will provide shelters, food, Bible training and other practical aid to persecuted Christians as together we live for Christ.

Thank you! Your help today will provide Naniar and other persecuted Christians with basic needs as they live for Christ – and connect us together as one body in Christ.

A Broken Church Grows

A church of new believers in Naniar, a small village deep in a forest, quickly grew.

“I learned from the Bible that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sin. If anyone believes in Him, they will get eternal peace and life,” said one believer.

The good news spread. “Many were coming to Christ” said Chakma, a church leader, and they could not fit in his home. “In 2021, we built a church house.”

Months later Buddhist activists violently attacked them. “They were trying to stop people from coming to our Savior Lord Jesus Christ,” Chakma said.

The Buddhists were incited by a monk who said the church made the village unholy and dirty. Armed with weapons, “they shouted at us to revert to our old religion. If we did not, us men would be brutally killed and our families could not live in the village.”

The men ran into the forest. The Buddhists broke into their houses and beat the women and children. Their homes were looted. Their church was damaged.

They lived in terror for weeks. “Most days we didn’t have anything to eat. We all were starving. It is very hard to describe that painful story of our hardships,” Chakma said.

CFI’s coworker brought food to the families. “Without this help we could die from being starved,” Chakma said. “We prayed and cried to the Lord to protect us, help us to rebuild the church house. Before leaving, [CFI’s coworker] encouraged us to stand firmly in Christ.”

After another attack, the families escaped to CFI’s shelter where they stayed for months.

“I can’t but believe in Jesus Christ and worship Him. Even if I die for my faith in Jesus Christ, I will not return to Buddhism.” A Naniar Christian

CFI’s director negotiated with village leaders. The believers were allowed to return but forbidden from rebuilding the church or moving freely, which meant they could not work.

Since that time, CFI has provided food, school fees, and necessities for the families. Pastors are not allowed to visit the village, so CFI is providing Bible training and housing for Tabil, a young man in the church. On Christmas in 2022, the Christians gathered in their broken church to celebrate God coming into our broken world.

More than two years after the attacks, village leaders finally permitted the Christians to rebuild their church. Thanks to God for changing their hearts!

Naniar Christians provided the labor and CFI provided the supplies. It was challenging to get materials to this isolated village. The dirt trail that winds up hills is only wide enough for walking or motorbikes and becomes thick with mud in the rainy season.

In May, Naniar Christians celebrated the opening of their new church. It stands as a testimony that God restores the broken and is growing His church.

Chakma said, “We pray to God that the [Buddhists] feel the blessing of this church and be made holy by the Holy Spirit so they can come to our only Savior, Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Thank you who helped us to rebuild this church.”

Yet Again

In August, Buddhist activists threatened the Christians again. Half of the families fled to CFI’s shelter. Others remain to maintain a presence and protect their newly rebuilt church.

They are living their faith in the presence of their enemies. They are reinforced with aid and encouragement from CFI.

At the time of publication, the church still stands.

Why We Need a Church

Tabil was chosen by the Naniar church to prepare to be their pastor. The 22-year-old has finished a theology course and is training to share the Gospel with illiterate people.

He sent this message from inside their rebuilt church:

Why is the Church House necessary for us?

We as Christian believers cannot exist without praising and worshiping God. It is powerfully effective when we worship and pray together in the church. The church is a holy house of God where our brothers and sisters in Christ come together to glorify our God. That is why we think the church is very important in the life of a believer.

What is our mission and vision with Church House?

Our vision for this church is to deliver the word of the Lord to the lost sheep in this village, to let them know the Lord, to win them to Christ, to bless the village through this church.

We want to see changes in this village so that we can win those lost children and glorify God, no matter how many obstacles, struggles, sufferings, persecutions come before us. May people receive God’s blessings through this church. May those lost children know and understand God.

We thank God for blessing us with a beautiful church through CFI. We are still receiving God’s blessings through CFI. With your help and support, we are still okay in many difficult situations.

Special thanks to [CFI’s director]. God is blessing us a lot through him. Through him God gave us a beautiful church house. Now we can sing, praise and worship God soulfully and for His purposes.

Thank you to CFI’s members who work tirelessly and are still by our side. We pray to God that you may stand by the side of many more believers in the future.

May God bless you always

“You have been by our side with the blessings of God and we hope that you will be by our side in the future and in our happiness and sadness.” Tabil